Bam Adebayo produced the second-highest single-game scoring total in NBA history, putting up 83 points as the host Miami Heat beat the Washington Wizards 150-129 on Tuesday night.
The 28-year-old center scored 31 points in the first quarter en route to passing Kobe Bryant (81 points in 2006) for second place on the single-game list. Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point outing has stood as the record since 1962.
In 42 minutes on Tuesday, Adebayo shot 20-for-43 from the floor, 7-for-22 from 3-point range and 36-for-43 at the free-throw line. He also grabbed nine rebounds.
Abebayo set NBA single-game records for most free throws made and most free-throw attempts. Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley were the prior record-holders for made foul shots with 28 each. Dwight Howard had the old mark for free-throw attempts of 39, which he reached twice.
Washington has lost nine straight games, five short of its longest skid of the season. Alex Sarr led the Wizards with 28 points.
Lakers 120, Timberwolves 106
Luka Doncic posted 31 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as Los Angeles earned a victory over visiting Minnesota in a battle of playoff-hopeful Western Conference teams.
Austin Reaves scored 31 points and Deandre Ayton added 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, who pulled level with the Timberwolves, both with 40-25 records. Los Angeles holds the tiebreaker for fourth place in the West thanks to sweeping the three-game season series.
Anthony Edwards scored 14 points for the Timberwolves while shooting 2 of 15 from the floor and 1 of 10 from 3-point range. Juluis Randle also had 14 while Naz Reid and Ayo Dosunmu each added 13 as Minnesota lost its second consecutive game following a five-game winning streak.
Pistons 138, Nets 100
Jalen Duren scored 26 points in three quarters and Cade Cunningham collected 21 and 15 assists as Detroit seized control early, stopping a season-worst four-game skid with a wire-to-wire rout of Brooklyn in New York.
Duren converted three dunks and shot 9 of 10 from the field as the Pistons played a flawless game and earned their sixth win in the teams’ past eight meetings. Cunningham, who sat out Saturday’s loss, made eight of 10 shots and finished with 15 assists, three shy of his career high.
The Nets were unable to win three straight for the second time this season and lost for the 11th time in 13 games. Brooklyn shot 42% and made 13 of 38 3-point attempts. Michael Porter Jr. led the Nets with 19 points but Brooklyn’s other four starters — Noah Clowney, Nic Claxton and rookies Drake Powell and Nolan Traore — were a combined 6 of 21 from the field.
Kings 114, Pacers 109
Devin Carter scored 22 of his career-high 24 points in the fourth quarter as Sacramento beat Indiana, sending the visiting Pacers to their 10th straight loss.
Sacramento rallied from a 20-point third-quarter deficit behind Carter, who made three 3-pointers and scored 15 points during a 17-5 run that put the Kings ahead 109-103 with 1:46 remaining. Maxime Raynaud had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Kings, while Russell Westbrook tallied 16 points and nine assists. DeMar DeRozan and Clifford scored 12 points apiece, and Daeqwon Plowden added 10.
Aaron Nesmith led Indiana with 29 points. Obi Toppin added 17 points, Kam Jones scored 14, Jay Huff had 12, and Micah Potter finished with 11 in the matchup between the two teams with the worst records in the NBA.
Rockets 113, Raptors 99
Kevin Durant scored a game-high 29 points, while Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. chipped in 23 points apiece as Houston pulled away in the fourth quarter of a victory over visiting Toronto.
Durant made 12 of 16 shots from the field, including four 3-pointers, to pace the balanced offensive attack. Smith shot 8 of 14 from the field and sank three 3-pointers, and Thompson added 10 free throws and a team-high six assists.
RJ Barrett paced the Raptors with 25 points and six rebounds, while Scottie Barnes added 24 points. Toronto shaved a 10-point deficit to 73-72 late in the third before the Rockets pulled away.
Spurs 125, Celtics 116
Victor Wembanyama scored 39 points, hitting a career-high-tying eight 3-pointers, and added 11 rebounds to lead rising San Antonio to a victory over short-handed Boston in a battle between two of the top NBA teams.
With the Spurs ahead 106-105, Wembanyama delivered a powerful dunk followed by a 3-pointer, his eighth of the game, on back-to-back possessions, the latter with 5:57 remaining. De’Aaron Fox added 25 points for the Spurs, who won their fifth straight and are 16-1 in their last 17. Stephon Castle hit for 18 points and Devin Vassell added 14.
Jaylen Brown, Boston’s leading scorer this season, had only eight points before being ejected from the game with 3:38 remaining in the second quarter, with the Celtics up by two. Derrick White led the Celtics with 34 points while Jayson Tatum scored 24 and Ron Harper Jr. added a career-high 22 points.
Hawks 124, Mavericks 112
Jalen Johnson scored 13 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter to help Atlanta to a win over visiting Dallas for its seventh straight victory.
With the game tied at 97-97, Johnson scored on a three-point play and added a 3-pointer to put Atlanta ahead 105-99 to prevent the Hawks from blowing an 18-point second-half lead. Atlanta also got 29 points from Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Onyeka Okongwu scored 18 with nine rebounds.
In its eighth straight loss, Dallas was led by Klay Thompson, who came off the bench to make five 3-pointers and score 21 points. Khris Middleton notched 16 points while Cooper Flagg, Daniel Gafford and Naji Marshall each scored 14. Flagg added 12 rebounds and five assists.
76ers 139, Grizzlies 129
Cameron Payne made all eight of his 3-point attempts and scored a career-high 32 points as Philadelphia used a 21-2 fourth-quarter run to storm past visiting Memphis.
Kelly Oubre Jr. added 31 points and 12 rebounds for Philadelphia, which announced prior to the game that All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey (finger) will miss at least three more weeks. Quentin Grimes (22 points) and VJ Edgecombe (21) also helped make up for Maxey’s absence as the Sixers avoided their fifth loss in six games.
Memphis lost its fifth straight game despite 26 points and eight assists from Ty Jerome. GG Jackson pitched in with 15 points and Cedric Coward notched 13 points and 16 boards for the Grizzlies, who led by as many as 14 in the second half.
Suns 129, Bucks 114
Devin Booker scored 27 points and dished seven assists while leading Phoenix to a victory over host Milwaukee.
Phoenix sank a season-high 24 3-pointers (on 51 attempts) to begin its six-game road trip with a third consecutive victory. Jalen Green added 25 points while Royce O’Neale scored 21 and Collin Gillespie compiled 12 points, nine boards and nine assists.
Kyle Kuzma scored a season-high 33 points and shot 6-for-10 from 3-point range, but the Bucks took their sixth loss in seven contests. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner each added 22 points, and Ousmane Dieng logged 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Bulls 130, Warriors 124 (OT)
Matas Buzelis capped a career-best 41-point performance with five points in overtime, Josh Giddey recorded his second straight triple-double with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 17 assists and Chicago outlasted Golden State in San Francisco.
Buzelis, Giddey and Tre Jones, who finished with 22 points, combined to do all the Chicago scoring in the overtime as the Bulls, taking advantage of a tired Golden State squad playing the second night of a back-to-back, dominated the extra five minutes to the tune of 12-6 to snap a two-game losing streak.
Four Warriors, including Kristaps Porzingis in his second home game in San Francisco, scored 17 points for Golden State, which was 1.4 seconds away from a regulation win before Jalen Smith drew a foul on a desperation 21-footer and hit a pair of free throws to create a 118-all tie. LJ Cryer, Gui Santos and Pat Spencer also scored 17 apiece.
Hornets 103, Trail Blazers 101
Brandon Miller had 23 points and nine rebounds and Kon Knueppel added 15 points to help Charlotte overcome a 19-point deficit and record a victory over host Portland.
LaMelo Ball had 14 points in 22 minutes before fouling out as Charlotte improved to 11-1 in its last 12 road games. Ryan Kalkbrenner added 13 points and Miles Bridges and Sion James had 11 points apiece as the Hornets won for the seventh time in the past nine games.
Jerami Grant scored 24 points and Deni Avdija added 22 points and seven assists for the Trail Blazers, who lost for the fourth time in the past six games. Scoot Henderson scored 17 points off the bench.
–Field Level Media
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